Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/138

102 There was added to the German navy, in July 1870, the steamer 'Renown,' 54 guns, purchased from the British Government. At the same date there were in course of construction seven men-of-war, namely, at the dockyard of Wilhelmshaven the iron-clad turret-ship, 'Grosser Kurfürst,' and the steamer 'Loreley'; at the dockyard of Kiel-Ellerbeck the iron-clad turret-ship, 'Friedrich der Grosse,' and at the dockyard of Danzig the iron-clad corvette 'Hansa,' the corvette. 'Ariadne,' and the avisos 'Albatross' and 'Nautilus,' all screw steamers.

The three largest ships of the German navy are the iron-clads 'König Wilhelm,' 'Prinz Friedrich Karl,' and 'Kronprinz.' The 'König Wilhelm,' built at the Thames Ironworks, Blackwall, and launched on the 25th of April 1868, was designed by the chief constructor of the British navy, is of 5,938 tons burthen, with engines of 1,150 horse-power, and carries 23 rifled 96-pounders, made of Krupp's hammered steel, and capable of being fired with 75 lb. charges as often as twice in a minute. The length of 'König Wilhelm ' is 365 ft., or 15 ft. shorter than the British ironclad 'Warrior'; but her breadth is 2 ft. greater, being 60 ft. against the 'Warrior's' 58 ft. The armour is 8 in. thick amidships, tapering gradually downwards to a thickness of 7 in. at 7 ft. below the water line. Just aft of the bowsprit and just forward of the stern are two immense bulkheads, each of 6 in. armour and 18 in. of teak, which continue from the lower deck up through the main deck, and rise to the height of 7 ft. above the spar deck. Here the massy protections are curved into the form of semicircular shields, each pierced with portholes for cannon and loopholes for musketry. Within these shields are four 300-pounders, which can be used to fire straight fore and aft, or as broadside guns. The 'König Wilhelm' has a crew of 700 men, and cost 3,250,000 thalers, or 487,500l. The second largest vessel of the Prussian navy, the 'Prinz Friedrich Karl,' was built at La Seyne, near Toulon, after the model of the French ships the 'Couronne,' and the 'Normandie.' The 'Friedrich Karl' is of 4,044 tons burthen, has sixteen guns, 950 horse-power, and a crew of 500 men. The third in the list of Prussian ironclads, the 'Kronprinz,' was built at Poplar, by Messrs. Samuda Brothers, and launched on the 6th of May 1867. The 'Kronprinz' is constructed with armour-plating 5 inches thick, so arranged as to protect the rudder and steering apparatus, as well as the whole of the lower deck. The armament consists of 14 steel breech-loading guns of 7 tons, and two pivot guns. The fourth ironclad afloat, the 'Arminius,' was also constructed in England, and is of 1,230 tons burthen, with 300 horse-power, carrying 4 guns; while the next, the 'Prinz Adalbert,' was built at Bordeaux, of 681 tons burthen, 300 horse-power, and 3 guns. As regards the ironclads in